Gasoline field stove



Sept. 28, 1948. L. J. STEIN GAS-CLINE FIELD STOVE.

Filed Jan. 4, 1945 1N VEN TOR.

#Troyen/5y Patented Sept. 28, 1948 GAsoLlNE FIELD s'rovE Leander J.Stein, United States Army, Sheboygan, Wis.

Application January 4, 1945, SerialNo. 571,343

e 3 claims. (01.1585-63) y (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883,l as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O, G. 757) The invention described herein,if patented, may be manufactured and used by or' for the Goverment forgovernmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to stoves and, more particularly, to vaporburning stoves employing a gravity, fuel-feeding system whereinprovision is made for automatically utilizing excess vapor generatedtherein, and returning the sameto the fuel supply. c l

In vapor burning stoves of the gravity fuel feed type, as at presentemployed, it is necessary to provide some means for disposing of theexcess vapor formed in the fuel pipe in order to prevent its deleteriousaction upon .the operation of the stove. If no means of "disposal ofthis vapor is provided, the flame of vthe burners will be found topulsate, or ebb and ow, due to the return of the excess vapor to' thefuel supply through the fuel pipe. This undesirable effect of excessvapor is especially evident in stoves provided with vapor generators forpreheating the fuel before it reaches .the burners, in which case therapidly formed vapor builds up a back-pressure inthe fuel pipe, andcauses La pulsation of the flame so great as to seriously affect theefliciency of the stove. Y

Heretofore, attempts have been made to overcome this disadvantage instoves of this typevby extending the fuel pipe beyond the burners topermit excess vapor to pass off without building up undesirableback-pressure therein, o-r by applying pressure to the fuel pipesuiiicientrto overcome any back-pressure built up by the formation ofexcess vapor therein. These vexpedieuts have not, however, proved tobeentirely satisfactory in a stove of the' type here contemplated, becauseof the unnecessary waste of fuel when using an extension of the fuelpipe: and because, ofthe necessity of providing a pumporv other `meansfor applying pressure to .the fuel when such means is used forovercoming the pressure of the excess vapor.

It is an object of the invention to provide -a vapor burningstove having`a vapor 'generating system wherein the above disadvantages areeliminated by the provision of means for the advantageous disposal ofexcess vapor formed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a vapor burningstovel capable of `automatic operation without the necessity for the useof any pump or other agency outside of the stove itself for building uppressure in the fuelfsupply thereof.

Further objects of the invention are the p'rovil-y `sion of a stove ofthe kind named, of simple designI and rugged structure, capable of beingquickly a-nd easily assembled for operation, lor dismantled fortransportation,y and when so dismantled, occupying a minimum of storagespace. A still further object is the provision of a gasoline stove whichis easily cleaned and maintained in elhcient operation.

The above and other lobjects of the invention are obtained by theprovision of a gasoline stove ofthe gravity fuel feed type,comprising'essenJ tially a fuel tank, a vapor generator or expansionchamber and a bur-ner, having a return pipe'ex` tending from thegenerator to the top of the fuel tank for conducting excess vapor to thespace above the fuel therein. l i

The invention will be more fully understood-:by referring totheembodiment thereof `described'in the following specification andillustrated in the Vaccompanying drawings wherein:

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stovewith the fuel tank attachedthereto, and Figuref2- is an enlarged, sectional View taken alongthefline 2 2 of Figure ijiooking in the direction indi-l cated by thearrows, and showing the structure of one of the burner-s and therelation of the llame shield to the jet hole thereof.' Figure 3 isanwenlarged side elevational view of one of the supports oftheA stove,showing the semi-circular notch therein for the Iaccommodation oftheburner section.

Referringv to the drawings, the gasoline stove consists of a unitvformed of a tube of a suitable material, preferably iron pipe, bent uponitself into a U-shape, as shown in Figure 1,'Ito forman elongated burnersection I and an` elongated vapor generator section 2 extendingparallelto', spaced from, and situated above the burner section I. Anynumber of burners may be provided, each consisting of a small `jet hole3 in lthe burner sec- 'tion I, above which is positioned a flame guard 4formed of a short section of pipe, of larger diameter than that of theburner section, supported by iron plates 5 welded thereto and to .theburner section I. The burners are arranged at suitable, uniformly spacedintervals .along the length-of the burner section I.

The unit is horizontally supported upon the standards 6 of T-shape, asshown in Figure 2, having ythe feet 1 and the uprights 8 formed of angleiron. The uprights 8 are provided with semi-circular slots 9 spacedabove the feet 'linto which the burner section I is .adapted to be re#ceived, while the generator section 2 rests upon the tops of theuprights 8 along the edges thereof. In this manner, the upper ends ofthe upright standards 8 provide underneath supports for the generatortube, and the slotted vertical edges prevent the .generator tube and,burner .tube from sliding off laterally; and generator and burner tubesI, 2 can be disengaged from the upright standards 8 by lifting.

A plug IU is p-rovided in the end of the burner section I, affordingready access to Ithe inside thereof for the purpose of cleaning thesame.

A section of pipe II of smaller diameter than that of the generator 2,and preferably of copper, is coupled to the end thereof and is provided`with a screw-threaded, pipe fitting I2. A .second screw-threaded pipefitting I4 is provided on the end of the generator 2. A gasoline well iis provided beneath the generator 12 near .the fueil receiving endthereof, for the purpose of preheating `.the generator `upon startingoperation of the stove. The gasoline vwelljis in the form of a small,shallow, tray-like structure secured to the genchater `'by shortsupports.

.A suel supply tank I5 is provided, having a fillingopening in its top,closed by suitable icap It. A pipe ntting `I'I is provided on the tank.at a Point near the top thereof, and a needle valve i8 for controllingthe ow of the fuel vis :secured to the :tank mear its bottom.

A fuel feed pipe I9 extends :from :the gneed-le vulve I8 to the pipefitting IZ on the 'pipe I;I whereby fuel is permitted to flow in anamount controlled by the needle valve` iii, from the tank tothegenerator. ,A vaporrretum :pipe 2t extends z from `.tl-1e pipe fittingIA on the generator section 2 to the pipe tting Il near the top Iof the-uel tank 1.5.

'It vwill be noted that the burner tube -I is later- Ially below thegenerator or expansion chamber 2 and the vertical axes of burner jets 3are not directly below generator or expansion chamber 2, but areslightly to one side thereof, so that the burner Vjets are in heatexchange relation with the chamber 2, but the name will not playdirectly on the latter, thus preventing the metal of the from being`rapidly burned out.

The stove ,is most conveniently set in the ground in a trench, .as .seenin Figure l, of .such depth as to permit the generator or expansionchamber 2 to lie below :the level of the ground, and a suflicient spaceallowed between the burners and .the object being heated for enicientoper-ation :of the name. The stove may also be placed for use .directlyon the ground, or other support, and provided with `a suitable shieldfor protecting the ame from the wind, The fuel tank is best located atsome point o-f higher eleva-,tion than the generator or .expansionychamber so that the fuel will be fed to the stove by gravity, and the,stove is .advantageously placed so that the end thereof nearest thefuel tank is slightly higher than the end remote therefrom., thuspermitting liti-uid `fuel to flow into the expansion chamber andpromoting vaporzation.

In the operation of the stove, a gasoline well I3 is filled withgasoline which i-s then ignited in .order to preheat the generatorsection 2. When the generator section has been thus sufficiently heated,the needle valve I8 4is opened, permitting gasoline to ilow to thegenerator and thence, after vaporization, to the burner section I andout through the yjet holes 3 where it is ignited. Subsequent heating ,ofthe generator vsection 2 by the burners .causes the development or acopious supply of gasoline vapor with a consequent increase in pressureinside the burner section and generator. If this pressure becomesgreater than the burners can accommodate, there is a tendency for excessvapor to iiow back through the fuel pipe into the fuel tank. Theprovision of the vapor return pipe '.20 permits this excess vapor to owinto the top of the fuel tank I5 where it ac- -curnulates in the spaceabove the fuel therein. The vapor thus returned to the fuel tanks exertspressure :upon the fuel contained therein, making it unnecessary toemploy a hand pump or other mechanism for applying pressure to the fuel.The returned vapor is also condensed to liquid gasoline, so that fuel issaved which otherwise would .be lost in the operation of a stove notprovided with such vapor return means, and thus the economy resultingfrom the employment of .the invention `.is .apparent When it becomesnecessary to clean the interior of the stove, the plug t0 is removedfrom the end of the `'bur-ner 'section `I and -a round, .steel :brushinserted therein. The jet holes 3 can be easily cleaned by the use K.of`any .convenient obrect such ,y as piece of .wire of .suitable diameter.

To dismantle the stove, it is only necessary to disengage lthe fuel land.vapor return .pipes :I9 .and 2n which may, ,for convenience, .beflexible, and remove .the standards 5. The .entire equipment can then bepacked into a very small space for transportation. It will thus be.apparent that the invention provides an inexpensive and ruggedlyconstructed stove capable of withstanding the rough usage to which .such.equipment is likely to ,be subjected, and Ahaving anautomaticallyoperatlng vapor control and return system which effects a,substantial economy of fue] Aand increased efficiency in operation.

,Having thus clearly described the invention,

,` what is claimed and desired to secure by ,Letters Patent is:

1. A demountable Vapor-burner stove compris- .ing an elongatedhorizontal burner tube, an elongated horizontal generator tube laterallyabove and communicating with said burner tube, at least one burner jetin .said yburner tube in heat exchange relation to said generator tube,the vertical axis of said jet being lateral of said generator tube, vaplurality of upright standards, the upper end of `each of said standardsproviding underneath support for seating said generator tube, and thevertical edge of .each of said standards having means for holding saidtubes against lateral displacement, said tubes being disengageable fromsaid standards by lifting.

2. A demountable vapor-burner stove comprising an elongated horizontalburner tube, an elongated horizontal generator tube laterally above -andcommunicating with said burner tube, at least one burner jet in saidburner tube in heat exchange relation to said generator tube, thevertical axis of said 'jet being lateral of said generator tube, aplurality of upright standards, the upper end of each of said standardsproviding underneath suport for seating said generator tube, and thevertical edge of e-ach of said standards being slotted for engaging saidburner tube and holding said tubes .against lateral displacement, saidtubes being disengageable from said standards by lifting.

3. A demountable eld stove comprising in combination a closed fuel tank;an elongated horizontal generator tube communicating with said fueltank; an elongated horizontal burner tube laterally below andcommunicating with said generator tube; a plurality of spaced lverticalburner jets in said burner tube in heat exchange relation to saidgenerator tube, the vertical axes of said jets being lateral of saidgenerator tube; a vapor return pipe leading from s-aid generator tubeinto said fuel tank at a point above the liquid level in said fuel tank,whereby the contents of said tank are subjected to pressure from vaporreturned through said pipe; and a plurality of spaced upright standards,the upper end of each of said standards providing underneath support forseating said generator tube, and the vertical edge of each Iof saidstandards having means for holding said tubes against lateraldisplacement, said tubes being disengageable from said standards bylifting.

LEAzNDER J. STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

Number 20 Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bean Sept. 5, 1882Patterson May 22, 1888 Ferguson Feb. 6, 1894 Poll Deo. 7, 1897 DenningAug. 4, 1903 Imhoff Dec. 28, 1909 Hunziker Jan. 21, 19-13 Warner et alOct. 28, 1913 Dorman Mar. 13, 19-1'7 Boyd Apr. 17, 1917 Gipson May 1,1917 Phillips June 19, 19-1'1 Brown Oct. 8, 1918 Brown July 20, 1920Pope Mar. 26, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1897Germany Jan. 24, 1925

